The Mobile-First Silent Travelers: Why They Matter

Earlier this week, we released our seminal new report, “The Rise of the Silent Traveler: Reaching Out to the Mobile-First Travel Consumer” on the new generation of mobile first consumers, and how travel brands need to understand their needs, to adapt to their dynamic and evolving expectations. Below is a short extract. Get the full report to understand this very important new trend.

We know that today’s traveler is deeply connected to mobile devices — to his or her tablet, smartphone, and whatever comes next in the form of technology that one can carry or wear on one’s body.

Research suggests that these travelers are not simply using their mobile devices to keep tabs on work, or read e-mail, or download a film to watch for the evening. Rather, they are looking for flight information and the ability to check-in — and out — without waiting in a line at either the airport or their hotel, they are looking for restaurant reservations, and they are looking to discover what to do at the places they visit.

This type of customer, passenger, and guest is using mobile tech to augment and even replace the traditional in-person customer service on which airlines, hospitality, and tourism have historically based many of their critical touch points. A vanguard within a new era, fueled by new access to an Internet full of information, from these consumers emerges a new model — the silent traveler.

The implications are significant. The silent traveler represents not only a challenge when it comes to brands preserving those key touch points — and by so doing helping to both ensure customer satisfaction and also understand evolving customer trends — but companies are also facing a shifting landscape when it comes to customer relations management, reputation management, and identifying opportunities to engage and increase traffic throughout the destinations they serve.

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